All That Matters
by AnnieCresta
Summary: What would you do to protect the one you love? Finnick would to anything to keep Annie safe; even lie to her.When Finnick gets reaped for the Quarter Quell, he will do everything he can to return to her safely. Will he?
1. Chapter 1  Goodbye

**This is my first FanFiction story, so i hope you like it! If you have not finnished Mockingjay, first of all, it won't make sense, and second, SPOILERS!Theis story is set in District 4 at the Quarter Quell reaping. As you know, the tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of vistors. This first chapter is basiclly a backaround review before the real stuff begins. :) DOWN WITH THE CAPITOL!**

**DISCLAIMER: Even though i am obbsesed with the unger Games, i sadly do not own them. Suzanne Collins does. Lucky her. :)**

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><p>"Ladies first!" Selby Jewett says in an eerily cheerful voice as she walks over to the ball containing two slips of paper, a name on each piece that I can't bear to be called. But one will. Selby pulls out a slip, clears her throat, and reads,"Annie Cresta."<p>

My heart stops. You could hear a pin drop in the square. Tears start falling from my eyes. Annie starts screaming, and I am too overwhelmed to try to calm her down. Annie. The girl who holds my heart in her palm, who is my life and soul, all that matters to me. The girl who went mad after her district ally was beheaded in the Hunger Games. After that, I thought I had lost her forever. But, a miracle occurred. The area was flooded, and she was the best swimmer. When she came home, I vowed never to let her get go; to keep her protected. I can't bear to lose her, not again.

I see Mags make her way to the stage, and hobble up the steps. For a moment I am completely confused, but then I understand. Mags stumbles over to the microphone and says, "I volunteer." Mags. The woman who kept Annie and me alive in our games, our mentor, our friend. Mags is all the family I have left. I don't want to lose her either, but there is nothing I can do. Annie whimpers beside me, her fingers entangled in mine. "I volunteer for Annie Cresta," Mags repeats.

"Well then, o-okay…"Selby stammers. With only five living victors from District 4, everyone knows us, even Selby, who technically lives in the Capitol. Annie, the mad girl, Mags, the old woman who refuses to die, Donar, the middle aged man who keeps to himself, Bowne, the old man on his deathbed who never utters a sound , and Finnick, the handsome Capitol lapdog, as they refer to me as. Everyone knows that Mags would do anything for Annie and me, but no one wants Mags to go like this."I guess it's on to our male tribute," Selby states matter –of-factly. She steps over to the ball containing the three male names of victors past. I look up at teary-eyed Mags and she gives me a sad smile. 'Good luck' she mouths. Selby pulls out a name, and reads "Finnick Odair," her voice cracking on my name.

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><p>"NO! He can't! He can't go! Please! "Annie shrieks. "He can't! He can't leave me! Not again." I solemnly make my way up the stairs of the stage and take my place next to Mags. I can still hear Annie's shrieks and screams as she is being restrained by peacekeepers."NO! FINNICK! Please no! "Tears fall silently down my face.<p>

Selby chokes out, "May the odds be e-ever in your favor," before we are hurried into the justice building. I am ushered into a room with white, plush furniture and a pitcher of water with a single glass on a small table. Before I can even sit down, Annie runs in with two peacekeepers hot on her heels. She runs into my arms and I embrace her. I bury my face in her hair.

"It's ok," I tell the peacekeepers, and they reluctantly leave the room. She is all that matters, all that I care about. I can feel the tears, still pouring down my face. I doubt they will ever stop. She is what I fight for, why I have all those fancy capitol suitors. I have done it all these years, just to keep her safe, to keep her away from Snow and his torture. "It's alright, it's alright. It's going to be okay," I assure her, even though I am not so sure.

"Finnick, Finnick I don't want to lose you. Not again. I can't bear to think of what I would do without you .I-I can't. I can't live without you…I can't"

"I know, I know." I put my hands on her shoulders and look at her. "For us. For us, I will win. I will kill them all. I will make it back to you, no matter what it takes. You have to stay strong for me, ok? No matter what happens on that screen, you have to promise me you won't give up hope. You'll stay strong for me, ok?" I am yelling now, but I can't let her destroy herself if she sees me die.

"O-okay. I will. For you."Annie looks up at me with those sad eyes and I pull her into one last kiss. We hold each other until the hour for final goodbyes is up. The peacekeepers have to pull out of the room. She calls after me, "Win, Finnick! You have to win!"

"I will, you know I will!" I call after her. "I love you Annie! "

"I love you too," I hear her call before the doors slam shut. If only she knew...

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><p><strong>I hope you loved it! I know that the chapters are short, but i hope that they are worth it! A new chapter should be coming out every week, at least. :) PLEASE REVIEW:)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2  Trainride

**Chapter Two! Yay! I thought that I should upload another since my chapters are so short. Sorry! It's just how I write! Please review! it would make me so happy:)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the districts, the Hunger Games, Finnick, Annie, or President Snow. Jeez, who do you think i am? Suzanne Collins?**

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><p>On the train to the capitol, I return to the room that I stayed in on my way to the 65th Hunger Games. I never would have thought that I'd be a tribute again. I run my hand along the textured wallpaper, thinking back to my first time in this room.<p>

Back then, I still had a family, still had other people who mattered to me besides Annie. I was so relieved when she was not reaped. There was something about her, even then, that I couldn't live without. Elsa, the female tribute for that year, was from the Village, so I didn't really know her except for school. I am from the Warf, since my father was a fisherman, and spent all my free time diving or fishing. Mags and Donar were our mentors, Elsa's and mine. I still can't believe I made it out alive.

My thoughts are interrupted by Selby knocking at my door.

"Dinner time!"Selby is so cheerful, no matter the situation. Sometimes I really want to punch her.

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><p>The dining car seems oddly empty, with only Mags, Selby, and myself, before I realize that Mags and I are not the mentors this year, but the tributes.<p>

"Shouldn't Donar be here, as our mentor?" I ask my pea soup as I sit down.

"Yes, but he will not be joining us tonight," says Selby. I can hear the note of frustration in her voice. Most likely, he refuses to join us. Donar is a quiet, strong man, who doesn't speak to most people, and he has a big temper. If he doesn't want to do something or see someone, than no one argues with him. Even Selby and her required perkiness can't change that.

I look around the dining car, and notice not much has changed in here, either, since last year. Even though I was only a tribute once, I have been a mentor every year since. Every year, I board this train with two innocent children, and watch them die. Every year, I grow close to them, help them, get my hopes up that one might survive. But it's always the same. And, every year I go to the Capitol, Snow has a new line of lovers for me to spend my time with. And I do it. In the beginning, I refused, but look at where that got me. Mags is all the family I have now. At first, I said no to the suitors who bought me from Snow. Then when I returned, Mother was gone. The next year, Father, then Mason, my girl. Finally, I gave in. I knew Annie was next.

That is why I did whatever it took to keep her safe, even though it meant lying to her. I couldn't risk telling her about the rebel's plan to save Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and hopefully the other tributes still alive, including myself. District 13 has been planning a rescue since the Quarter Quell was announced. If all goes according to plan, we will be rescued from the arena by a hovercraft, the districts will go into an uprising against the Capitol, and a rebellion will break out. I couldn't risk telling her the plan, in case she was captured by the Capitol. So I had to lie.

"Finnick, are you alright?" Selby looks concerned. I realize that I am crying again.

"What do you think?" I stand up, and the soup along with several other dishes crash to the floor and shatter. I kick my chair out of the way and leave the room.

I must have ran back to my room because the next thing I know, I am crumpled into a heap just inside my door, crying until I have no tears left. Selby comes to check on me but I lock the door. Finally, at around 6 in the morning, Mags comes to see me and I let her in. she takes one look at me and envelops me in her fragile arms. I cry in her arms until we pull into the Capitol station two hours later.

"I can't do this anymore, Mags. What if they kill her? Or me?" I look up into the eyes of my only piece left of home.

"Shush, shush. Ebeyting will be bine. Ib will be ok," Mags tells me. She is so old her speech is often garbled. I seem to be the only one who can understand her anymore. I give her a sad smile and we get off the train. Selby takes us to level four of the Training Center and hands us over to our stylists, who seem to think that the less clothing I have on, the better. Let the public humiliation begin.

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><p><strong>I know, kind of bad place to end. Please tell me what you think! I will upload as soon as i can, but once school starts, they will be a lot slower. Please review, and PM me if you have any ideas to make the story better! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3 Meet the Mockingjay

**So so so sorry for the wait! Also, it is super short, and kindo f filler, but its better than nothing, right? I hope so! it will probably be another week before another upload, again sorry, but i have lots of work. :( Beleive me, i would rather be doing this, but school is first. Heres a hint though, reviews and favorites=sooner uploads! No joke! if i make it to % reviews before sturdy, i will upload again!**

**DISCLAIMER:I don't own the Hunger Games. I don't own Finnick, nor do I own Katniss. *sigh***

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><p>Joen, my stylist, smiles at me. "Well, they won't be able to take their eyes off you, that's for sure."<p>

Joen was the first friendly face I saw in the Capitol those many years ago. She is one of the only people that I truly trust in this world. She never tries to cheer me up with lies, like Selby. She just tells it how it is.

"Well, I guess that's a good thing," I say as I look at myself in the mirror. I am cloaked in fishing net, strategically knotted at certain areas around my body.

"You bet your buns it's a good thing. Got to give 'em what they want," Joen says with a smirk.

Then something occurs to me.

"Wait. Joen, what is Mags wearing?"

"Same thing," Joen says. We look at each other and crack up. "No, Pome designed some kind of long, dark blue, poncho dress thing with a trident for her to hold." A sigh of relief escapes my lips.

"At least one of us will be decent," I groan at myself in the mirror.

"I want to show you the rooftop garden real quick. They redid it this winter. It's very noisy though, with all the wind and traffic." She makes a small circular motion with her finger, indicating the cameras and mics that the room is bugged with. I immediately understand and follow her up to the roof.

We stand in the garden, leaning over the rail for a moment. I turn to her with tears welling up in my eyes. "What are they going to do to her, Joen?"

"They know that she doesn't have any real information. They might even leave her alone." She looks down at the tips of her boots

"Yes, and the Capitol loves us all and cares about our well-being," I snap at her." You're the only one who ever tells me the truth, so tell me it now when I need it the most." I get quiet again." What are they going to _do_ to her, Joen?" I repeat.

"Whatever it takes to break you," she says. Joen looks at me with sad eyes, but they quickly change back to sparkling. "We just have to win, and fast" she says hopefully," before they can get to her."

"Well, then I've got a show to put on," I smirk.

"They will love you, trust me. Now go play nice with the Mockingjay." Joen flounces towards the stairwell.

I head down to the holding pens, and morph into the playful, charming, sexy, flirtatious man I used to be.

I stop at the horse grooming area and steal some sugar cubes when the trainer isn't looking. I notice that most of the tributes have arrived early to visit with the others. Since most of us are here year after year mentoring, we have all become friends. I join Mags at the entrance and head over to see Wiress and Beetee, the District 3 tributes. Beetee is in charge of carrying out the madness of our plan to break out. It's not that Wiress isn't as smart, it's just that after being in the Games, and mentoring all these years, she is a little worse for wear.

Beetee greets us with a big grin and I give him a hug.

"How are you guys? Wiress?" I say cheerfully. Wiress mumbles something back and I nod."Everything all set?" I say under my breath to Beetee.

"Yep." He smirks. "This is sure to be the best games yet."

"Fantastic" I say. As Mags and Beetee make small talk that he can't really understand, I spot Katniss waiting by her chariot. Peeta is nowhere to be seen, so I assume he is still getting ready."Excuse me, "I say to Beetee and Mags, "but I have an alliance to make." I flounce over to 12's pen and sneak up behind her. I seductively whisper in her ear, "Want a sugar cube?"

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><p><strong>I hope that is was at least kind of good, but like i said, it was kind of a filler chapter. I think that i might skip the charitos and head stratit for the interviews, or even for the arena. What do you think? Hmm? Review and favorite if you want to see more!:)<strong>


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